Heritage dulcimer first look 26 feb 16

The Heritage dulcimer is produced by Chas Hagen and is an off-the-shelf production model based on the features and playing styles of pre-1960s instruments. There are more details about the instrument at www.dulcimers.co.uk

[@BeyondF1]

Very helpful information, thank you.

[@infernalmandolin]

Hi, I’m still trying to get my head around these different “temperaments”. I think I understand the different fret placements and this helps when player the melody. But what effect does it have on chords, if any?

[@birdrockdulcimers]

Hi Eric. It is a little complex to explain. Lets say we were tuned to DAA (D bass, A, middle, A melody). And lets concentrate just on the melody string for a moment. On a mountain dulcimer you would set the frets to start the major scale for the melody string at the 3rd fret. So from the 3rd fret your frets are placed do, re, mi, fa so la, ti, do and onward. The open melody string would sound the 5th of the scale (so), the first fret the 6th of the scale (la) and the second fret the 7th (ti). In just intonation the distance between the 5th and 6th notes of the scale is 182 cents. So the first fret is placed so that the melody string tuned to A would sound the B note 182 cents higher than the A.
Now lets take the bass string tuned to D. On our dulcimer this string would normally act purely as a drone and never be fretted. However, if we do fret it at the first fret it will sound E at 182 cents above the D. But the note E on the melody string is played at the 4th fret, which, in just intonation is 204 cents above the D at the 3rd fret. So, if you set the frets on a mountain dulcimer in just intonation some of the bass string notes will not match the pitch of the melody string notes. This is why modern mountain dulcimers use equal temperament - every semitone is 100 cents apart - so the different strings will sound the same note at the appropriate fret.
The advantage of just intonation is that the intervals are very natural when you play melody against drones - the note blends are perfect - a barbershop choir will sing in just intonation. The advantage of equal temperament is that you can play cords across the strings and it will sound OK (every note is just a little out of tune - but not enough to notice in a chord) - a piano is tuned to equal temperament.
On the Heritage Dulcimer the first fret is in equal temperament but the rest in just intonation (or close to it).